Ross Atkins will need another big offseason to fix the Blue Jays

One of the most baffling things about the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays’ disappointing season is that it followed what wound up being a fantastic offseason. 

Teams floundering after whiffing on big free agent signings is a tale as old as baseball itself — the New York Mets and Bo Bichette are just the latest example. Paying top dollar for players who underperform is the quickest way to ruin a team.

Yet, Toronto absolutely nailed their acquisitions last winter. Dylan Cease is likely to finish as the runner-up for the American League Cy Young. Kazuma Okamoto led the team in home runs and RBI as a rookie. Tyler Rogers is running a sub-2.00 ERA. 

The success of these signings is both a reason to be hopeful and cause for concern. 

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins should be encouraged by his process for evaluating free agents. With the exception of Anthony Santander, he’s largely done a fantastic job in this regard. What’s worrisome is that he had such a great offseason yet his team still wound up missing the postseason. He’s got his work cut out for him once again. 

Who could Ross Atkins sign this offseason? 

The Blue Jays have needs up and down the roster, but none are more pressing than improving their anemic offense. Toronto’s batting lineup needs to be deeper and more powerful if it has any intention of competing in 2027. 

With the return of Addison Barger likely to fill a vacancy in the outfield, Atkins should be looking to acquire a new designated hitter first and foremost. George Springer doesn’t seem as if he will be back in 2027 and Santander can not be counted on for anything. The DH spot is therefore the most obvious place in the lineup to insert some thump. 

Could impending free agent Seiya Suzuki be lured away from the Chicago Cubs? He’s exactly the kind of powerful right-handed hitter the Blue Jays need. He could also play the corner outfield if the team is willing to risk his subpar defence. 

Adding another starting pitcher will also be necessary with only Cease, Jose Soriano, Trey Yesavage, and Cody Ponce—an unknown coming off a season-ending injury—currently pencilled into the rotation. The Blue Jays entered 2026 with what appeared to be an enviable amount of pitching depth and still wound up not having enough. 

A reunion with Shane Bieber could be in the cards, but Atkins would be wise to look elsewhere for someone more likely to stay healthy. Could they enter the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes? Perhaps. Securing the services of someone like Trevor Rogers, Freddy Peralta, or Shota Imanaga for a fraction of the price feels much more realistic, however.

Then there’s the bullpen to consider. The Blue Jays’ main relievers were fantastic in 2026, with Rogers chief among them. Adding another lefty who can handle leverage innings would be a great idea—Mason Fluharty can’t be expected to lead MLB in appearances again. 

The scary part of this thought experiment is that Atkins could nail all his signings once again and the Blue Jays could still be a bad team in 2027. Or perhaps some new faces are exactly what they need to turn things around. The only thing that can be said for certain is that there is a ton of work to do, and the pressure will be on the front office to execute. 

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